Jagged Edge (1985)

Director:

Richard Marquand

Writer:

Joe Eszterhas (written by)

Release Date:

4 October 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Thriller | Mystery | Romance

Tagline:

When a murder case is this shocking, which do you trust... your emotions or the evidence?

Plot:

San Francisco heiress Page Forrester is brutally murdered in her remote beach house. Her husband Jack...

Plot Keywords:

Love | Murder | Miscarriage Of Justice | Defense Lawyer | Extramarital Affair

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 nominations

Cast

Glenn Close	...	Teddy Barnes
Maria Mayenzet	...	Page Forrester
Jeff Bridges	...	Jack Forrester
Peter Coyote	...	Thomas Krasny
Dave Austin	...	Policeman
Richard Partlow	...	Policeman
Lance Henriksen	...	Frank Martin
William Allen Young	...	Greg Arnold
Ben Hammer	...	Dr. Goldman
James Karen	...	Andrew Hardesty
Sanford Jensen	...	Scott Talbot
Woody Eney	...	Austin Lofton
Al Ruscio	...	Carl Siegal
Sharon Hanian	...	Assistant D.A.
Sarah Cunningham	...	First Judge
Ann Walker	...	Ms. Barnes' Secretary
James Winkler	...	Ted Fitzpatrick (as James Winker)
Bruce French	...	Richard Duffin
Brandon Call	...	David Barnes
Christina Hutter	...	Jenny Barnes
John Furlong	...	Butler
Karen Wonnell	...	Stablehand
Sharon Madden	...	City Editor
Guy Boyd	...	Matthew Barnes
Phyllis Applegate	...	Mrs. Stiles
Robert Loggia	...	Sam Ransom
Michael Dorn	...	Dan Hislan
John Clark	...	Dr. Holloway
Louis Giambalvo	...	Fabrizi
John Dehner	...	Superior Court Judge Clark Carrigan
David Wiley	...	Court Clerk
Leigh Taylor-Young	...	Virginia Howell
Jay Crimp	...	Ms. Barnes' Assistant
Mike Mitchell	...	Bailiff
Diane Erickson	...	Eileen Avery
Marshall Colt	...	Bobby Slade
Walter Brooke	...	Duane Bendix
Karen Austin	...	Julie Jensen
Bill Gratton	...	Jury Foreman
Joyce Shank	...	TV Interviewer
Dean Webber	...	Newscaster
John X. Heart	...	Reporter
Brenda Huggins	...	Reporter
Richard Marion	...	Reporter
Edwina Moore	...	Reporter
Sue Rihr	...	Reporter
Suzanne Lodge	...	Reporter
Judith Siegfried	...	Reporter
Sally Train	...	Reporter
Abigail Van Alyn	...	Reporter
Terry Wills	...	Reporter
Biff Yeager	...	Reporter

Directed by
Richard Marquand

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Joe Eszterhas		written by

Produced by
Michele Connors Raley	....	associate producer (as Michele Connors-Raley)
Martin Ransohoff	....	producer
Don Carmody	....	assistant producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
John Barry

Cinematography by
Matthew F. Leonetti

Film Editing by
Sean Barton
Conrad Buff IV		(as Conrad Buff)

Casting by
Lynn Stalmaster

Production Design by
Gene Callahan

Art Direction by
Peter Landsdown Smith		(as Peter J. Smith)

Set Decoration by
Jerry Wunderlich

Costume Design by
Ann Roth

Makeup Department
Pete Altobelli	....	makeup artist (as Peter Altobelli)
Barbara Lorenz	....	hair stylist
Bob Mills	....	makeup supervisor

Production Management
Terry Carr	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Terry Carr	....	second unit director
Alan B. Curtiss	....	second assistant director
Michael Daves	....	first assistant director
Regina Gordon	....	second second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Rene Auda	....	stand-by painter
Nigel A. Boucher	....	lead man (as Nigel Boucher)
Christopher Burian-Mohr	....	set designer
Stan Cockerell	....	property master
Beverli Eagan	....	set designer
Bill Iiams	....	general construction foreman
Roger Irvin	....	construction coordinator
Charles R. Lipscomb	....	lead man (as Charles Lipscomb)
John Warnke	....	set designer

Sound Department
Wayne Artman	....	sound re-recording mixer
Tom Beckert	....	sound re-recording mixer
Raul A. Bruce	....	boom operator (as Raul Bruce)
Milton C. Burrow	....	sound editor
Gene S. Cantamessa	....	production sound mixer (as Gene Cantamessa)
Tom E. Dahl	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Tom Dahl)
Fred Judkins	....	sound editor
William L. Manger	....	sound editor
Joseph A. Mayer	....	adr editor (as Joe Mayer)
Tom McCarthy Jr.	....	sound editor
Jack Wolpa	....	cable person
Joseph Holsen	....	sound editor (uncredited)
John Roesch	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Lionel Strutt	....	adr mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Stan Parks	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Jena Holman	....	matte paintings

Stunts
Loyd Catlett	....	stunts (uncredited)
Richard Epper	....	stunts (uncredited)
Debby Porter	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Douglas E. Beal	....	assistant camera
Hugo Cortina	....	chief lighting technician
John R. Leonetti	....	focus puller
John J. Linder	....	key grip (as John Linder)
Elliott Marks	....	still photographer
Michael St. Hilaire	....	camera operator
Joseph F. Valentine	....	camera operator
Jesse Mather	....	lighting technician (uncredited)
Jeffrey Ray Strong	....	electrician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Michael Dennison	....	costumer: men
Bruce Ericksen	....	costume supervisor (as Bruce Erickson)
Barbara Matera	....	costumes executed by
Elizabeth Pine	....	costumer: women

Editorial Department
William Goldenberg	....	apprentice editor
Peter Ransohoff	....	assistant editor

Music Department
John Barry	....	conductor
Tom Jung	....	music engineer

Transportation Department
Gary Hellerstein	....	transportation coordinator (as Gary M. Hellerstein)

Other crew
John Bush	....	location manager
Jonathan Elias	....	synthesizer
Michael Hill	....	production accountant
Arthur Leeds	....	legal advisor
Don Levy	....	unit publicist
Cathleen Moore	....	assistant: Mr. Marquand
Julie Pitkanen	....	script supervisor
David C. Thomas	....	location manager (as David Thomas)
Joan Wolpert	....	production coordinator (as Joan M. Wolpert)

Production Companies

• Columbia Pictures Corporation
• Delphi IV Productions

Distributors

• Columbia Pictures (1985) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1988) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Prooptiki (1986) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Prooptiki Video (2001) (Greece) (DVD)
• Videosonic Arts (1987) (Greece) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Mayflower Recording  adr recording

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Canada:R (Ontario) | Singapore:M18 | Germany:16 | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15 | Norway:16 (1986) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Visible in David and Jenny Barnes' bedroom is a poster for Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983), also directed by Richard Marquand.

Goofs:

Continuity: Teddy's clothes change several times while giving her opening statement to the jury.

Quotes:

Thomas Krasny: The guy had a rap sheet as long as my dick.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in In the Cold of the Night (1990)

has a better cast than it deserves; Ezstherhas hadn't hit his stride yet

Let's face facts, folks, Joe Ezstherhas is one of the guiltiest pleasures in screen writing of the 90s, or just in general in the past twenty or so years. His work is so trashy it's close to being the essence of pot-boilers, even if one has to remember that it's good for being so rotten, in its own way (Basic Instinct and Showgirls are the most notable examples). Jagged Edge, on the other hand, tries to be somewhat respectable despite its pulpier roots. He throws in several curve-balls (all of them, sadly, can be seen before they're pitched), and delivers some good, solid courtroom drama, but mostly the actors have to carry much of the picture to keep from getting too... well, bland, really. The first half hour feels the most of this brunt of not really being very exciting, as its predictable story develops like we've heard it dozens of times before.

As I mentioned, by the time the courtroom drama picks up, and the intrigue gets juicier, there are some moments of interest. But it's trying to be a legitimately "good" movie, when if trashier it could be just as crazy and awfully lovable as other scripts by him. Thankfully, and this is more-so to director Richard Marquand's credit (keeping a steady hand at the helm, not doing anything too flashy), it's cast so well that one just goes along for the ride. Bridges is the kind of actor that works perfectly, as a guy you want to like so much that it gets tricky to figure out if he's good or bad- his charisma and talent is that strong. Close also fits in well, if a tad TOO well, as a lawyer with a lot to prove and a lot to lose emotionally with the murder case. And also of note is Robert Loggia as her partner/counsel, who provides the bulk of the cursing and most of the common sense. And lest not forget Peter Coyote (only better choice would've been the main prosecutor from Law & Order Sam Waterston).

It's maybe worth a look-see on a Sunday afternoon, and if one is fans of the actors or interested in other things from Return of the Jedi helmer Marquand. But for Ezstherhas... it's meh.